Oh..........................

It's here..........

OMG.

Am so excited, nervous, emotional!! Have already had tears today, but hey, that's just me.....I'm feeling ok.......

The weather in London is looking good!

It's raining here at the moment but London should be sunny & 16' this afternoon (OH, I could have been at Twickenham.....drinking lots of Guinness.....watching my fav team.....(& all those REAL men!!)......COME ON TIGERS!!.....) & then partly cloudy, 9-10' overnight with the sun rising at 5.03............so, fingers crossed, looks better than last year. One of my favourite memories from last year was the sun rising.......it was beautiful......if all goes well (a big hopeful POSITIVE IF) we may be nearing the end as the sun appears....

Well, must get on......things to pack & check & food to eat.......!!

Thank you so much for all of your support.....you know it really does mean so much to me.....think of me tonight while you are all wrapped up warm & cosy in your beds.....I'll be proudly strutting my stuff around the streets of London.......trying NOT to think of being wrapped up all warm & cosy in a bed!!!
XX

Under 30 hours to go........

How am I feeling???

Nervous........

Excited.......

Emotional.......

Scared!!

In fact.......am feeling like I have ants (frogs...private joke, don't worry) in my pants...can't sit still, worrying that I am going to forget something, feeling clumsy because I am nervous, feeling nervous because I am clumsy....!!!! You get the picture...........

In fact, have just had a few tears......silly girl, I know.....but I guess the emotions I am feeling will help me through anyway.....better out than in! I need a huge hug.

I know I'll be fine.....I know I can & will do it.......

I'm sure I will blog later tonight....but definitely in the morning as I feel I may be awake rather early!
xxx

Eating for England....

I cannot believe what I have eaten today.......

3 weetabix

Then at work.....
2 slices of toast with marmite
4 bananas
2 peanut butter rolls
Special K cereal bar
Ham & mushroom tagliatelli
Coconut cake

And......

Cheesy smash

AND......

Am about to have chilli & rice.

Yes, it's true.

I will be growing a little curly tail & making strange noises at this rate.......

But, & this is a really big "but"........

OH....what I wouldn't do for a cold pint of Guinness......
XX

Fabulous five......

The scheduled first walk in our fabulous bras was cancelled due to the severe wind in Felixstowe tonight...I think it is possibly one of the windiest (burping aside, me, not Trace!!) walks we have done.....

Our poor bras would have suffered too much, so the plan is for the grand unveiling to take place on our final training walk on Thursday evening........

Anyway, we were only going to do 4 tonight but it was just such a brilliant walk...yes, even with the wind pushing us back....that it was me....YES ME!!!!...who said at 4 miles, hey, let's go back & do a fifth....am I feeling ok??!!!

Well, yes I am feeling fab....the walk was just brilliant, maybe it's the excitement starting to build up as well....we walked the 5 in 1hr 2mins.....so we really stomped out. I expect my huge diet is also helping......I am just a pig at the moment!!

My emotions are just about under control...bit of a rollercoaster at times but I AM managing to stay pretty chilled out & focused most of the time, so all is good!!

I can't believe it's Wednesday tomorrow....there really isn't long to go now.........
xx

Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How many days??!!

OMG.

I walked tonight for the first time since the mighty 20 of last Sunday....blister has gone but I still bought some special plasters to protect that area....I felt a little bit nervous in case I had problems with it, but, fingers crossed, all seems well!

Trace & I just walked 5 & I felt really energised & really loved the walk...we just put our foot down so to speak & walked it in 1hr 5mins.....fantastic!

It's time to fuel up for Saturday, so.....

I am now a non alcohol-carb-eating-juice-guzzling-queen......!!

But, we also all know that we have to be strong mentally for this, so I am determined to be completely focused this week & to remain calm & not let anything wind me up or faze me....hmmmmmm hope these are not my famous last words....please give me support this week...I really do need it, it's probably going to be full of every emotion possible!

My bra is now fully decorated & will see the light of day on the final two training walks.....hope Felixstowe is ready for Trace & me in our neon yellow bras....!!!

XX

Tired & emotional......

Oh...it's all been getting to me.......

I have felt pretty crappy over the last two days...just really shattered & then today, really emotional....tears in the kitchen at work...not good!

But, am brighter tonight...lots of support from my gorgeous girlies & special friends...thank you xxxx

I think it's just everything really...the training, the walk itself, the reasons why I am doing the walk, my "anniversary" coming up....I know that I hit all these emotions throughout my training last year, so guess it was only a matter of time before they all caught up with me this year....best to just let it all out.............BUT

I'm ok!

I know the next week will be full of nerves, excitement & stuffing my face.....!!

No Guinness though :-(

Well, except for tomorrow night when us girlies hit the bright lights of Felixstowe to celebrate Griffy's birthday....our last big ROAR before the big night!!

Good news about my blister too....it's gone! It didn't pop either so no broken skin.....am lucky girl! I am planning to do a very short walk on Saturday morning (hangover permitting) & then about 6 miles on Sunday with Trace....don't think we'll need to get up so early for that one though!

Bra decorating at the weekend as well, then those all important breaking-the-bra-in-walks next week around Felixstowe...ha ha ha ha.....remember how funny that was last year!!

Now I need my sleep......
xx

Blister-gate..............

No joke...especially as I have heard of some fellow walkers who have horrendous blisters & are even struggling just to walk normally......

So, I consider myself very lucky to just have this one blister.....it's going down & isn't painful today.......but Trace & I were planning on walking 5/6 miles tonight......

HOWEVER......

After trying my trainers on after work & also taking some very good advice from friends (thank you xx), I decided NOT to walk tonight.....I don't want to jeopardise the big night for the sake of missing a couple of smaller walks this week.....if I were to walk & it popped, it would be red raw which would be horrendous.....much better then to rest (I do need it anyway!!) & let it heal well & be raring to go on the 16th......

I just feel really strange not walking though!! We've been training for so long & it just becomes a way of life for weeks....withdrawal symptoms already!!

So, a relaxing evening awaits.....a good foot soak with my special oils...maybe a good film.....oh, and maybe some Galaxy??!!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy.

xx

Recovery day update............

Well.....I'm not too bad!!

I am shattered though...but, this may have something to do with the fact that instead of putting my feet up last night, I took Jess to see her beloved Mcfly....she was right at the front, leaning on the stage & touched her Danny's face & oh so much more.....ooops, cue embarrassed Mum....yes I know, takes a bit for me to be embarrassed!! (By the way, do you think 41 is too old to be a groupie??!!)

Anyway, I'm not surprised I am so tired, but apart from that...not toooo bad!! My calf muscles really ache so have done some stretches & may just go for a very gentle stroll later...mustn't just sit or else I will be much worse. I have got a rather impressive blister on the inside of my left foot near the heel...it's about the size of a 10p.....NO don't pop it!! Don't know why I've got one so late on in training...haven't had quite such a big one before.....

Here's to a chill out day.....maybe with a Guinness thrown in for added ooommph.....
xx

Oh what a feeling............

Tracey & I started our epic 20 miles at 6.35 this morning.....

I really feel that all the training has now fallen into place......all those early morning walks were worth it....all those tough times I went through....the 3 mile wall I hit last Sunday...the pain & tears.....because......

TODAY'S WALK WAS FANTASTIC.....

The weather was dry, sunny & really hot at times....but, just to remind us that we live by the sea, there was a head wind sometimes too! Actually, I'm glad there was as it would have been too hot otherwise...

Trace had suggested that we avoid Trimley High Road which I was very happy about after my "fun" time last Sunday...so we decided that we would walk the normal 10 & then just turn back for the home run....this also meant that I could pass my house twice & collect more juice along the way...

I was walking really well, no wooden legs at all!! I didn't think about the fact that we were doing 20, didn't want to get panicky about it so just took each mile as it came....before I knew it, we were walking past my house to complete 7 miles....and I had a four legged friend walk with me for a while...my cat!!

He was trotting along nicely, it was really funny but then I started to worry a bit as I didn't want him to keep following us.....so I told him to go home (did I really expect him to stop, turn round & go??!!!) He then obviously reached the edge of his territory as he started to meow in a crying sort of way as if to say "mum, stop!!!".....even as we turned the corner, we could still hear him but luckily, he didn't follow us..........

I was happy to reach the half way marker but even happier that I didn't have to face the Trimley walk....it was great to just turn back & get going again.

6 miles later we turned back down my road when Butch appeared again, I hope he hadn't been waiting for me......what a surprise, a male patiently waiting for over an hour....ha ha ha!! Anyway, he just trotted along with me, but I was more concerned this time as I would be going towards the busier road & really didn't want him to follow this time.....but, typical male...(stubborn)...just kept on & then started crying again just as we reached the corner....He followed us & went onto the road & sat in the middle of it, luckily the cars stoppped & I think he then realised that this wasn't "his" road, panicked & ran back down our road....it was horrible, so, I called home & he was rescued just around the corner from the house, absolutely petrified.....poor thing...

Knowing he was safe...I LOVE my cat!!...I could carry on quite happily....we whizzed along, stopping in the infamous loos at 14 miles...then walked along the prom for a bit, was lovely but so windy!! I was really happy, NO WALL at all, although I knew there was still time for it to appear, but was feeling very positive.....

At 18 miles, I had the big hill near Morrison's to conquer....I was so determined to stride up it, so gritted my teeth & got on with it, I felt great to get to the top.....before I knew it, the final mile was within my reach....I was feeling really tired, my hip ached & I could feel a blister on my left foot, but I just felt fantastic!

Trace was a little way ahead of me & gave me a huge hug when I reached her house...I was just so happy to have walked the 20...it took me 4hrs 23 mins, which I was so pleased with, but more importantly, I was relieved to have done it!!!!

What a feeling......!!! I'm tired but VERY happy.....!!

I am soooo excited about the 16th now.....it will be amazing!! We did get a few encouraging comments along the way today & I know we will get so many more on the night itself which will help us get through......

Time to chill now....I think I deserve a Guinness....
xx

Two weeks today....!!

Can you believe it??!!

This year's training has gone so quickly & it's a bit of a shock to think that this time in 2 weeks, we will be in London.....................

Trace & I walked 8 miles on Thursday evening....yes, I know I didn't need to do the 8...but, believe you me, after the day I'd had, I did need to.......it was a brilliant walk, I really enjoyed it. Getting out & stomping the 8 miles was the best thing I could have done....

So to today.........we went to Ipswich & bought our bras!! To say they are bright is an understatement......the label says "neon yellow"...so am sure you can get the picture.....!! It won't be hard to miss us on the night! We had such a laugh in the changing room....hilarious....so many jokes about our sizes.....this was just what we needed, a good old laugh-out-loud-almost-pee-your-pants time.....

Just have to decorate them now....

So now to tomorrow morning...the 20 miles.....I am feeling ok & have been eating for England this week, juicing loads & am ready!!

Yes......I......am!!

Positive.
xx